Counter or step wave generator



Dec. 18, 1956 o. E. Dow

COUNTER 0R STEP WAVE GENERATOR Filed Sept. 18, 1952 l N VE NTOR.

DEVILLE E. Duw

AWORNEY 'latented Awave voltage, the diierent steps or risers in the step wave 'voltagebeingused to control diierent vchannel selector ,circuitsj .The counter of the invention may valso be used 257745871 ttopro'duce anoutput pulse which has a submultiple` fre- ,y 5y quency relation to an input wave. COUNTER 0R STEP WAVEGENERATOR A 4more detailed description of the; invention follows vOrville E..DOW, Port `Jelerson, N. Y., .assignor :toLRadio v. in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawing, in which: Corporation 0f America, a COIPOlaiiOIl OfDelaWal'e ,Fig -1 4is a circuit diagram of. one embodiment `offthe. l y .l l l invention Apphcanon September 18 1952 Serial No 310342 10 Eig. 2. isa. block diagram corresponding. to the circuit 2 Claims. (Cl. Z50-A27) of Figure 1.

Fig. `3 shows a series of curves representing voltage `variations at variousfpoints in thecircuit.

,A .pulse input vwave,whichmay bet-as representedfin This invention relates to an electrical countercircuit .15 Figure 3a, is-,applied to input terminal 10.of"Figure 1 for generating a cyclic step wave. -from which'it passes through couplinggcapacitor 11, across An object yof, the invention is to; provideaan improved gridresistor 12, to the grid'13 of pulse amplifier vacuum circuit for generating a step wave. voltage having aplural- .tubeior device 14. An output transformen-15 is connected ity of lsteps or risers correspondingin numbento afde'sired .with itsjprimary coil 16 lbetween ythe anode-17; ofV tube14 number of applied input waves. 20 and .the positive terminal B-lof a source of unidirectional 'Another object is to lprovid-e a.stable .counter -circuit potential. Anamplied pulse wave is derived; frorngrthe for generating a pulse wave .which hasairepetitionrate ,secondary coil 18. whichy is a submultiple of the repetition rate ofanvapplied v T heamplied pulse wave isl appliednthroughcoupling pulse wave, capacitor .20,` across `grid resistor ,2.1,y tof-the, gridgtZZ-:of Counter circuits generally employ a step wavegeneratorf25 step. wave ,generator vacuum. tube `or device 23. The which adds an increment of charge von a. capacitor. every =cathode. 24 is connectedtoa cathode-'resistor Z5,- and t-he time a pulse is applied to thetstep wave, generator. The ,common ends of. resistorsy Z1 andfZS are :connected to, a voltage on vthe capacitor. is coupled to a.-discha rge..tube storage` capacitor 27, ,one platel of 4which is-returnednto normally biased to cut-oil?,` and `after .lanpredetermined ground. The .windings of-tranisformer115 are sofpoled number yof charge increments have been added..;to ,the'l30 that v.a positive pulse is developed acrossl grid resistor :21 capacitor, the voltage thereacross reaches afvaluefwhich and each pulse is suicient inamplitudetoexceedthe out overcomes thelbiasA on the 4dischargetube, .allowing .it .to Hholf, potentialof ytube 23, causing-electron currentfto ow lconduct and-discharge vthe capacitor. 1 'The cycle is. .then in thegridcircuit inresponse to a positive 4polaritytfinput repeated. pulse applied .to terminal 10. Inftherintervaisbetween UT he bias on the discharge tube may beset to.av,alue-135v pulses, the, charge oncap-acitor 20 develops thefbiasacross which' isvepeome by the fullarnplitude.of..the,lastriserl ygriduesistor 21 which maintains tube-23 -in-a normally or by less thanthe full. amplitudeof. thelast .riser.-lt has vout oil condition. Each time a positiVe pulse is applied 'i been foundthatthe countery is Amost stable ,andreliable ,..to-.glidzz Plaie Currentv flOWS iadding 'an increment 0f in its count when'the discharge tube is. biasedsofthat the ...rchargevOIlCapacitorbias is `overcome when .the .last riserreachesabout' halte-40 CathodeleSiSiOl'.25lii1l31i0VeS the linearity Offille'SeP its full amplitude, the lfull amplitude being'A the..;same-as W21Ve, :that is, it` makes 1-all..the risers more. nearlyequal the arnplitude ofthe other'riser's. .'Ifrthelbias .is ysuchsas v.ill amplitude -N0rm211ly, with each successive :riser of a to be.overcome by full amplitude of the 4last riser,.s1ight Cycle, there is a 4reductionin theranOde-.iO-ealhode Voltage ,variations inithe circuit el'ementtmay. result ,in a..failure "Onlilbef23 fille i0 the 'accumulation ofvchargezoneapaeiiof on'the part ofthe discharge tube to.conduct.aftenthedast'f45 27-, Sii'iee the input PUlSeS are Va'lluOf equal amplitude; riser, aridxthe step generator will .thengenerate aniaddife-aei'l SiieCeSS'iVe, Pulse Offa Cycle feSUltS ill a riSer 0f IleSS tional step ontthe step wave. The. countisthentwrong. .amplitllde, i.` e, a Smaller illelenieil'f 0f Charge iS yPlamed` Setting the bials on the.- dischargertube sothatitis over- 2 Ollhclpaeiiorv 27- Cathode feSiSiOl 25. Pfilly Countercome when the last riser 'reaches onefhalfof.fulliarnpliacts illisineqiialiiy beCaUSe"--S=11"he-anode-O-cathode tude provides for Stable and .reliable Opertl0n-rv`asMM50 circuitandithas developed across it anopposing voltage ,"counter. However, .in many applications, of; counters, Whieil S.-.leSS fOr each successive riser. lThis reduces-the especially. where the 'risers aejfemployedo itriggep. 'other A'amplitude ofthe rst `risers much more thanthe last risers circuits, it is most important that theamplitudesiofrxal1 v50 that all 'risers femore nearly equalill amplitude. risers, including the laspyiser; bequaL `hislnx-@fore Cathoderesistorl 25 serves vanother function. :Some apr1mary object ofthis inventionitoprovide an,improved,55 receiving type tubes 'are manufactured Iwith ay reducing stable circuit for generating a step wave whereinthe last agent .infile yIliekel Cathode .Sleeve i0. -eXPediieaCiVtill riser has an amplitude substantially equal to thatof the 0f -'ii1e.eail10d This agent causes Ian increase'vin' the other risers. rinternalathode resistance after a` few" thousand-hours AcCl-dlng to a lature of the presemmventlon, a pop yof operation of the tube and the increase is accelerated 'if non of the-pulse-input isapfplieduthvogh a delay lines() l the emission from .the .cathode :of the tube .is cut 'off for ,totthe electron dischargedeviceor tube. The bias Aonithe alia-fg@ Pei-Cemage Ofihe iimeOfOPefaiiOn, aS S lthe CaSe 1 discharge-tube is .set tot a .valuestichithfat it canfbe over- 'With-mbe 2'3- This increaselininiemalcathode resistance t-fcomez only/by both..the fullmamplitude of thel'last riser *ca-usgs avdeprease in the Step Wave' amplitudeand may andra delayedinputpulseRecyelingithus taltesplace` at ey-@ni I-esult'in a Chaiigefifi., Colmi Unless adjustments-are a time after the last riser reaches full amplitude, which65 gmalfigfntimerioftim- @The:iDSeliOIl^0resistor25in time is determined by the delay of an input pulse by the the circuit reduces the effect of the change in internal delayline cathode resistance since the internal cathode resistance The counter circuit of the invention has numerous ap- 1s then only -a fraction of the total cathode resistance.

The volta e on sto p llcations 1n electr1cal c1rcu 1ts. By way of illustration, the coil of ag regenergigiecrilftgrrrrgrlflepiliid thl'iguh t e lnventron may be used 1n a pul-se type time division of a discharge tube 33. The anode 34 is corgurilecte multiplex communications system for producing a step through the coil 35 of transformer 31 to B+ The avv/1,871

cathode 36 is connected through a tertiary coil 37 of a transformer 38, and through a cathode resistor 40, having a bypass capacitor 41, to ground.

Every time a pulse is applied to step generator tube 23, the tube conducts and adds a charge on storage capacitor 27. This results in steps of voltage, as shown in Figure 3c, being developed across capacitor 27 and the grid circuit of discharge tube 33. Tube 33 is normally biased below cut-off due to bias developed across its cathode resistor 40. When the step wave voltage on the grid 32 of discharge tube 3.3 overcomes the bias on its cathode 36, ranode current starts to iiow in the winding 35 of transformer 31. The windings of transformer 31 are so poled that an increase in current in coil 35 causes an increase in voltage across coil 3? such as to make the grid 32 of discharge tube 33 positive with respect to the high terminal of capacitor 27. The increased grid voltage further increases the plate current which, in turn, further increases the grid voltage. lThis action continues until the grid 32 of discharge tube 33 draws grid current. The grid current discharges storage capacitor 27. When grid current starts to llow in discharge tube 33, the rate of increase of the anode current decreases, which results in a decrease in grid voltage. The decrease in grid voltage further reacts on the anode current. This action continues until the discharge tube 33 cuts off.

As stated above, discharge tube 33 is normally biased below cut-off by cathode resistor 41B, and the tube conducts when the step wave voltage on its grid A36 over# comes the bias on its cathode 36. According to the teachings of the present invention, the value of cathode resistor 40 is chosen to keep discharge tube 33 cut off after receipt of the last desired step or riser of the step wave. Discharge tube 33 is made to conduct at a time determined by the application of a trip pulse to the cathode 36 of the discharge tube 33.

Trip pulses are derived from the pulse input. The pulse input from terminal 1% is applied through a coupling `risers is shown by way of example.

3b, represents the voltage on storage capacitor 27 and grid 32 of discharge tube 33. A step wave with four It will be noted that the fourth riser of the step wave (Fig. 3c) is substantially equal in amplitude to the first three risers and that the discharge tube 33 does not conduct for a period of time following the fourth riser. The vertical distance between the wave of Figure 3b and the wave of Figure 3c represents the cathode-to-grid voltage of discharge tube 33 at any time. The cut-off potential Ec of tube 33 is represented by a vertical arrow. It will be seen that the vertical distance between waves of Figures 3b and 3c is less than the cut-od potential Ec at a time following each fourth riser determined by delay line 52. Tube 33 conducts only after the full amplitude of the fourth riser on its grid 32 has been reached and then only upon the simultaneous receipt at the cathode of a trip pulse. By

this construction the counter or step generator operates capacitor 44 across a grid resistor 45 to the grid 46 of a cathode follower vacuum tube 47. The cathode 4S of tube 47 is connected through a voltage-divider load resistor 49, 50 to ground. Trip pulses of an amplitude determined by voltage divider 49, 50 are applied from resistor S0 to a delay line 52 consisting of series inductors and shunt capacitors. Resistor 50 has a value matching the characteristic impedance of the delay line 52 so that no reflections will occur at this end of the line. The other end of the line is connected to an impedance matching resistor 55 and a primary coil 56 of transformer 3S. Transformer 33 also has a secondary coil 37 from which a submultiple output pulse may be obtained. The windings 56 and 37 of transformer 38 are poled so that positive delayed input pulses from delay line 52 are applied as negative trip pulses to cathode 36 of discharge tube 33. Cathode follower 47 is cut otf between pulses by the average grid current through grid resistor 45 so that the pulses at the cathode 43 applied to the delay line 52 are shorter than the input pulses. The delay line 52 and transformer 3S should have a high frequency response so as not to shorten the pulse voltages. Delay line 52 is preferably made to cause a delay of the pulses which is between one and two times the build-up time of the risers. The time delay of delay line 52 is represented by t in Figure 3. The voltage on the cathode 36 of discharge tube 33 1s as represented by the wave of Figure 3b, the negative trip pulses being derived from the input pulses (Fig. 3a), and the positive discharge pulses being the result of rendering the discharge tube 33 conductive. Wave Figure 3c, on the same voltage ordinate scale as wave Figurev in a most stable and reliable manner and yet the last riser of the step wave has an amplitude substantially equal to that of the other three.

The discharge pulses on the cathode 36 of tube 33 are available as a submultiple pulse output from the secondary 57 of transformer 38. The trip pulses, being of opposite polarity from the discharge pulses, do not pose any serious problem in the utilization of the discharge pulses as a source of submultiple pulses. The discharge pulses are, of course, delayed in time relative to the input pulses as a result of the delay in delay line 52.

The step wave voltage on storage capacitor 27 is taken out to the grid 6) of a cathode follower 61. A step wave output conforming with the wave of Figure 3c is obtained from across the cathode load resistor 63.

Fig. 2 is a functional block diagram of the circuit shown in Figure l. The pulse input is applied through a pulse amplifier 70 to a step generator 71, and also through a cathode follower 72 and a delay line 73. A discharge tube circuit 74 is responsive to the total amplitude of the step Wave in step generator 71 and a delayed pulse from delay line 73. When the discharge tube 74 res, the step generator 71 is recycled and a submultiple pulse is generated. The step wave output is obtained from the step generator 71 by means of a cathode follower 75L What is claimed is:

1. A step wave generator receptive to a pulse input, comprising: an amplifier for said pulse input, a storage device, a rst electron discharge device receptive to the pulse input and operative to add an increment of charge to the storage device for every pulse received, a cathode follower also receptive to said pulse input, a delay line receptive to the output of said cathode follower, a second electron discharge device coupled to said storage device and biased by the voltage on the storage device and the delayed pulses from the delay line so that the second electron discharge device is rendered conductive to discharge the storage device at predetermined intervals, and a cathode follower coupled to the storage device for providing a step wave output.

2. The combination of claim 1 and in addition means coupled to said second electron discharge device for providing a submultiple pulse output.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,221,666 Wilson Nov. 13, 1940 2,540,524 Houghton Feb. 6, 1951 2,588,413 Roschke Mar. 11, 1952 2,592,493 Trevor Apr. 8, 1952 

